


Once This Is Over

by my_idiot_stories



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien doesn't find out his dad is evil, Alya and Nino show up for like one sentence, F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Post-Hawk Moth Defeat, ladynoir is life, the power of love always so strong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-06-26 06:33:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15657729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/my_idiot_stories/pseuds/my_idiot_stories
Summary: After finally beating Hawk Moth, Chat Noir and Ladybug wonder what their future holds and whether it's safe to reveal their identities to each other.





	Once This Is Over

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, I have to thank Tourmei (tourmei.tumblr.com) for being my amazing beta reader! I hope you guys enjoy this. :)

“One last time?” Chat Noir held his fist out toward Ladybug, waiting for their customary post-akuma ‘Pound it!’

“Why do you say that?” Ladybug’s tone was laced with confusion and sadness as she stared back at him. It was their last battle against Hawk Moth. After years of fighting, they finally lured him out of his hiding place. He was surrounded by policemen at that very moment. The two heroes had bested him and the citizens of Paris were waiting for his miraculous to run out so they’d see who was behind those countless attacks on their city.

Chat lowered his fist and shrugged. “You said that our job would be done when we beat Hawk Moth...” His voice trailed off and the ears on top of his head drooped. He hated the idea of never fighting alongside her again. It had taken weeks to come to terms with it but he realized that if Ladybug wanted to stop being a superhero, he should support her. Even if it meant their partnership would end. He cared too much about her to force her to continue if she didn’t want to.

The truth was, Ladybug didn’t know what she wanted to do. Her uncertainty made her regret ever bringing up retirement around Chat. She had mentioned that she didn’t know what they would do after Hawk Moth was taken care of. He had been a constant threat and source of anxiety for everyone but once that was over, the two of them could relax. Paris could get along fine without their help, right? They deserved a break. They deserved to live their lives like normal people.

But she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was the wrong thing to do. Ladybug was a part of her now and as confused as she was about the future, she couldn’t picture it without Tikki or crime fighting or her partner.

Once, after an exhausting fight months ago she had said, “I’m looking forward to fighting Hawk Moth face to face someday. Why can’t he show himself? Why send his henchmen after us, anyway?”

Chat had leaned against the chimney they were standing next to and closed his eyes, “Is it pawssible we intimidate Hawk Moth? We do outnumber him. And we are purr-ty good at this.”

Ladybug ignored his puns and sighed as she slid down the chimney next to him. She was tired and her miraculous was running out of time, but she wanted to stay sitting on this roof with him as long as she could. “It’ll be nice when we don’t have to make excuses anymore. No akumas to interrupt plans. No bad guys to catch. Just imagine it.”

Chat opened his eyes and sent a worried look in Ladybug’s direction. “You’re not sick of this, are you?”

“No...but once this is over...then what? Do we stop being Ladybug and Chat Noir?”

Chat stood up straight, fatigue completely forgotten. “I hope not! I love being Chat Noir! It gives me an excuse to use all of my amazing puns. And I love that it means I get to spend time with you.”

He had looked so sweet and sounded so sincere. It had made her heart clench a little. Usually, when he flirted with her, it was more playful. She felt like she didn’t have to take it too seriously. If she did, her life would get even more complicated.

But right now, looking up at him as the sun was setting and the citizens of Paris were huddling around to catch a glimpse of Hawk Moth, she realized maybe complicated would be nice. As long as Chat was here.

Ladybug smiled softly. “ _This_ job is done, yeah. But I don’t think I’m done being a hero yet. It makes me happy. Even if all we do is catch petty thieves from this point on, it’ll be worth it.”

Chat beamed as he smiled back at her. “So this isn’t the end?”

“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t trade this partnership for the world.” Ladybug held out her fist and laughed. Chat thought it was the greatest thing he’d ever heard. He felt a weight lift from his chest as their fists touched.

* * *

They had to let their kwamis rest for a while before transforming again. After their masks were back on, they decided not to head to their respective homes just yet. They said they were ‘patrolling’ to make sure everyone was safe after the battle with Hawk Moth but they already knew everything was fine. They just liked hanging out.

They didn’t feel rushed. Both of them simply enjoyed taking a leisurely stroll together.

“Hey, since Hawk Moth won’t be looking for us anymore, does that mean you can tell me who you are?” Chat said as they walked across his staff which connected two rooftops. He took a few leaps across it until reaching the end. Hopping off, Chat looked behind him at Ladybug who was taking her time, arms stretched out and gaze switching between him and her feet.

“Don’t be silly, Kitty. Regular bad guys can use our identities against us too.” As she reached the end of the staff, Chat extended his hands toward her, silently asking if she needed help down. She didn’t. But she put her hands on his shoulders and let him help her anyway. His hands went to her waist and he gently placed her on the roof in front of him.

“Worth a shot,” he said with (mostly) feigned disappointment.

Ladybug looked into his eyes. She’s done that countless times but it felt different now. She wondered what they looked like when he dropped his transformation. She would like to know how his feline features differed from his actual appearance. Would his eyes be the same soothing green? They stood there, still holding on to each other longer than either of them intended. 

Chat realized he had been staring. He blinked rapidly as he let go of Ladybug. Her hands slowly, reluctantly slipped off his shoulders. Chat walked behind her to grab his staff. He shook his head to clear it from his daze as the weapon retracted in his grasp.

“It would be nice to know who you are...” Ladybug said quietly.

Chat’s entire body stiffened. He almost forgot how to breathe. He must’ve been imagining this. There was no way he heard her right.

Ladybug had trouble controlling her breathing too but she continued anyway. “I know it would be dangerous...but, you know, we’ll never be affected by an akuma again. We won’t have to worry about that. And if we– or if... someone does find out our identities, it would make things difficult, sure, but I think we could still do our jobs. I’d need to convince my parents to let me continue, though.” She laughed a little at that. What would they think of this? If they weren’t okay with it, she might not get to see Chat that much. But if their identities weren’t secret anymore...

“My father would need a lot of convincing,” Chat admitted. If he could drag his father out of the office which Gabriel had basically lived in the past few days and talk to him about Chat Noir, there would be a very big argument. Gabriel has always been incredibly strict with Adrien so imagining telling him ‘hey, I’m the one who punched Hawk Moth in the face today’ was almost as scary as confronting Hawk Moth himself. Even now, the idea of Hawk Moth worried Adrien. The police had arrested him and had yet to decide how to reveal his identity to everyone. So in Adrien’s head, he was still this powerful villain, not some normal man who sadly crossed paths with a kwami.

Ladybug turned around to face his back. “I’d help you convince him. You’re too good at this. You like it too much. It would be a shame if you stopped.”

Chat took a deep breath and turned his head enough to look over his shoulder. “What are you saying?”

_I want to know who you are. I want you to know who I am. I want to be with you every day, every way I can be. I want to tell you everything. It took me too long to realize how much I need you in my life._

“I trust you more than anyone, Chat. And being Ladybug would be easier if you were always there to support me...even when I don’t have a mask on.”

Chat quickly faced her with a look of wonder in his eyes. He was dreaming. That’s what it was. Or he had died and gone to heaven. Or maybe, just maybe, by some miracle, he was getting everything he’s ever wanted since he was fourteen and it would be great if he would actually _say something_.

He gave her a cocky grin which he hoped was convincing. “I’ll tell you who I am if you want...but!” He raised a finger, “on one condition,” and pointed at her. 

Ladybug chuckled. “And what’s that?”

“Let me take you out on a date. I–if you want to, of course! I mean—I just, um... I wanna get to know you better...so...” He looked down sheepishly as he cleared his throat.

It should be illegal to be this cute, Ladybug thought. A soft expression crossed her face as she answered, “I would like that,” with a small nod.

Both of them smiled shyly before he dropped his disguise.

Marinette’s crush on Chat Noir has only gotten stronger the more she tried to suppress it over the years. Eventually, she wondered, ‘Why am I pushing him away when he makes me so happy?’

Of course, she knew one big reason was a certain classmate of hers who still to this day made her heart feel like it was going to jump out of her chest.

She would get over it. Her crush on Adrien was probably doomed anyway. She had made progress and could somewhat form complete sentences around him, but she kept asking herself how long before he started to fall for her? Would it ever happen? Was she friendzoned for life? Adrien was a model, so he’d probably meet and fall in love with another model, leaving Marinette heartbroken.

She could get over it… Sure, he was extremely kind and adorable and smart and talented and really really _really_ attractive, but he was—

“Hey,” Adrien said with a hesitant smile, weakly lifting his hand up to wave at her and then rub the back of his neck.

—even more perfect than she could have imagined.

She dropped her transformation soon after and watched as her partner’s eyes widened bigger than she’d ever seen them.

Tikki and Plagg exchanged knowing glances. Marinette and Adrien tried to simultaneously stare and avoid eye contact with each other as much as possible. Less than a minute had passed but to them, it felt like an eternity.

“Are they gonna say anything?” Plagg whispered to Tikki. 

Adrien was the first to break the silence. “So. I feel silly for not noticing you were Ladybug.”

“Same...” Marinette squeaked out, holding her head in her hands. “I–I see you every day! How did I not know you’re my teammate?” Her nervous laughter eventually became more joyful and Adrien, gazing at her scrunched up face, was compelled to join her. There was a lot of relief and surprise in their laughter.

“I’m so glad it’s you!” Adrien said with a huge smile, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks.

“Me too!” Marinette’s hands fell to her side as she looked up at him. Neither of them had ever looked more lovestruck than in that moment.

Tikki, being the caring and responsible friend she is, noticed the time on Marinette’s watch. As much as she hated to ruin this beautiful moment, Marinette still had to talk to her parents about the bakery like she promised earlier that day. Recently, they seemed to know their daughter was keeping something from them. It was getting harder and harder to come up with good excuses. Tikki had wanted to warn Marinette about how late it was when she recharged, but she simply couldn’t stand in the way of Ladybug and Chat Noir’s patrol.

After watching the two heroes express their excitement over the reveal for a few minutes, she said, “I’m sorry to interrupt and it’s lovely to finally meet you, Adrien, but it’s really late and Marinette has to get home before her parents get suspicious!”

Hearing Tikki’s urgent tone, Marinette was shocked out of her trance and tried to smile apologetically at Adrien. He looked a little sad, but he understood curfews. Plagg rested on his shoulder and looked back and forth between the two superheroes, amused at the striking differences in their behaviour now versus twenty minutes ago.

“You two can plan your date later.” Tikki winked and gently pushed on Marinette’s arm, urging her in the direction of the bakery. “See you later, Plagg! Good night, Adrien!”

Marinette waved at her partner before saying, “Bye, Kitty~” and awkwardly sprinting away.

Adrien was in an equal state of awe as he bid them good night with a bow, trying not to look too disappointed at their departure. “Farewell, Bugaboo.”

* * *

“TIKKI!”

“I know.”

“I’M FREAKING OUT.”

“I know.”

“Oh my god!” Marinette’s voice was muffled by the cat pillow on her bed. As soon as she finished talking to her parents, she went to her room, flung herself onto the mattress, and started yelling. It had been the best and most stressful day ever. She couldn’t remember being tired. The revelation from earlier has made her too excited to ever want to sleep again.

“I know,” Tikki said. It was moments like this when she really sounded like a mom.

“I can’t just lay here! I need fresh air.” Marinette scrambled to get up and out onto her balcony. She walked to her railing and leaned over it, gazing at the view in front of her. Paris seemed even more beautiful than ever. Marinette sighed, letting out some pent up nerves. She began to ramble, almost too quickly for her kwami to keep up. 

“Tikki. My two most favorite people in the whole world are in fact one person, and now that I know that, a lot of things make sense and I don’t have to feel so conflicted anymore because if Chat—er, Adrien really does like me, I could be with both of them at the same time and _nothing_ would make me happier. I just wish I wasn’t so nervous when he dropped his transformation. I should’ve said something...romantic, maybe! What is wrong with me?!”

She kept talking about ‘the love of her life’ but never realized he was listening to her confessions.

Adrien felt his face heat up at her words. He was having trouble falling asleep so he had come over to her place to spend more time together and maybe plan their date or just talk. He arrived as she came outside. Adrien didn't mean to overhear everything. And as much as he wanted to hear her say she loved him, he should probably stop eavesdropping.

“Adrien Agreste is the only reason I didn’t allow myself to fall for Chat Noir! TIKKI, DO YOU SEE HOW RIDICULOUS—“

_Wut._

“And I just mean that I didn’t _allow_ myself to fall for him! I’m not saying it didn’t happen. It _did_. He made me care about him and it happened completely without my consent. This guy is like, impossible to resist!”

There’s no way he could talk to her now. ‘Oh hey there, Marinette, fancy seeing you here on _your_ balcony, I totally didn’t hear you screaming about your undying love for me five seconds ago.’ She’d know he heard something and get embarrassed. Can’t really make it sound like an accident even if it was.

Adrien felt that he was in no position to carry a normal conversation with anyone right now anyway, especially not with the girl of his dreams. He jumped from roof to roof, away from Marinette’s balcony and toward his house. He knew he had the biggest, dopiest smile on his face the whole trip there.

He mumbled “Claws in” as he jumped through his bedroom window.

“You okay, kid?” Plagg said, watching Adrien fall on his couch in the most dramatic way possible.

“I’m too happy to ever function properly again, Plagg.”

* * *

The next day, Alya and Nino had been waiting in front of their school with Marinette. As they heard a bell ring, their conversation came to a close and they walked away, leaving Marinette by herself. Well, until France’s favorite cat approached her from behind.

Adrien bent down to give Marinette a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll see you in class, m’lady~” His voice was quiet, gentle, yet very characteristically playful.

That one sentence seemed to represent his entire personality. It further solidified Marinette’s understanding that Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste were one guy and they—no, _he_ —cared about her.

Adrien practically skipped into school, leaving a frozen, blushing, and flustered Marinette behind him. Plagg peaked out of his hiding place momentarily to wave at Marinette and Tikki (mostly Tikki) as they entered the building.

“Oh my god, Tikki, I love him so much,” Marinette whispered to her kwami. Tikki failed at trying to hold back her giggle.

**Author's Note:**

> comment comment comment comment comment plz and thx :3


End file.
